The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-04

Justice according to peasant custom and ira
dition. without regard to the official code.
Protection to and reward OF labor, Of useful.
ness in the family and community, are the
principles governing the decisions. A father
may not disinherft child without reason,
and the Mir would annul a will prejudicing
the interests of a son, if he be dilligent and
industrious. Women, who by Russian law
are entitled to only fourteenth of the fami-
ly property, by peasant law share alike with
the men, in proportion to the part they have
borne of domestic burdens; even illegiti-
mate children cannot be excluded. if they
have labored faithfully in the household.
Kinship and ties of blood, which are peculi-
arly strong IN Russia, yield preferencelto the
rights accorded to useful work in all cues
tions OF distribution of property. Devotion
to the family extends to the community,
which is one large family, and the peasants
glory is to be faithful servant of the Mir
II II ln n;ta among them mutual help and
The new religion promulgated by Leo Toll
stol Is but the expression OF the principle
which for centuries has been the guiding
impulse of peasant philosophy.
The town Mir, besides the supervision
which it exercises, has charge OF general in
terests 1t may raise taxes for the support
of communal institutions, and is the interme
diary with the central government. 1t is
composed Of the officers of the lower bodies,
with also delegates from each, in the proper
o. L III.
elected by its members for three years, is the
town elder (stdrShiRd) he is aided by a per-
manent council formed of the higher officers
OF the village Mrs, and its decisions are or
dinarily conclusive, but from them an appeal
may lie to the Mir itself.
There are thus in this peasant administra-
ton checks and counter checks counterbal-
ancing one the other the village elder is
subject to his Mir and to the town elder, who.
IN turn, is controlled by council of village
officers and fhQ Mir of VII
lace delegates, Is supreme over all. 1t would
be beyond the limits of this article to discuss
this institution in all its bearings or to dwell
upon its defects, and upon the abuses which,
from the gross ignorance of the peasant
class, arise within it. and much that is Curl
GUS and interesting must be left unsaid in
simply explaining its nature. 1t may, how
ever be remarked that it exalts the commu-
nifty at the expense of the individual; the
former is all, the latter is nothing; therein it
is more communistic than democratic in its
tendencies, and the results to be expected
from it in the direction of representative gov
eminent are prop0rtionately less.
Upon these three institutions-the rural
assemblies and the city councils, emanating
from imperial authority, and the peasant
decentralization, OF popular origin-de-
pend in great measure the training and ed
ucation of the Russian people for political
freedom, The two former exercise their in
fiuence chiefly upon the middle classes and
by bringing them in frequent contact with
the higher and more intelligent not only
tends to develope in them nobler aspirations
and wider sense OF responsibility, but also
are breaking down the ancient barriers of
caste and of class distinction; they are fus-
ing the body of the nation into a more ho-
mogene0us mass, with keener sense of re-
ciprocal obligations In them the noble, the
bugher, and the peasant, meet on common
ground, with similar duties, equal response
bilities, and with common interests. Better
En0Wln6QQ of each nfhQr pnOapdarc hQtfar a